Variations

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It's been almost ten years since the first volume in Ronn McFarlane's survey of Scottish lute music, and this one picks off where the last one left off -- with selections from lute books of the 16th and 17th centuries arranged into mini-programs, the tunes all occupying a space somewhere between ancient folk melody and the court music of the renaissance period. The tunes are all instantly recognizable as Scottish, what with the distinctive pentatonic melody patterns and the "snap" ornamentation, and McFarlane plays with the clarity of tone and sensitivity of touch that have made him famous in early music circles. It's hard to pick out highlights from the 44 tracks presented here, but "Simon Brodie" stands out for its complexity and "The Lady Binnes Lilt" is especially sweet and pretty. Like its predecessor, this is an exceptionally lovely album. ~ Rick Anderson